My first character sketch will be of my wife Katie Wehrheim. She is the best wife ever!!! She has been such a clear picture to me of the love and grace of God. She loves me unconditionally. I don't have to merit it or do the right things. She just loves me. It's so amazing. Even when I fail her she accepts and loves me. And it is especially at those times that I see that unconditional love of my Father reflected through her. It still blows my mind when I think of it. I've learned the meaning of grace through this beautiful woman.
Also, I have seen her grow so much over the past few years that we have been together. I've seen the weight and tyranny of religion fall right off of her as she has come to know her Lord and his love. It's been amazing to see. Last summer the Lord did something wonderful in both of our hearts in the way of freedom. For her, it was really coming to know the Lord and his love in a real and inward way. She saw that it wasn't about her performance, or prayer, or Bible reading, or anything. It was all about Jesus Christ, and the greatness of her Father's love as revealed in Him!!! The year before this experience was difficult. Religion was no longer satisfying her heart. But then, at just the right time, the Lord revealed himself to her in a new, fresh, and inward way. Since then she is continuing to grow in His love. She is coming to know her Lord more as she journeys with Him through life.
She is an amazing cook. She is artistic and very good at the domestic arts. She is also very handy. I'll even admit that she is bit more handy that her ol' husband. She dad taught her well. She has become, and she truly is, a free woman in her Liberating Lord. A warning if you ever meet her: Don't get her started about religion. She hates it! Prepare to have your religious crutches cut out from under you :). And please, do get her started about her Lord. You may just learn something new and something fresh about Him!!!
Katie Wehrheim is a true picture of the Church- the beautiful and loving bride of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What are we looking for and seeking life from? A pattern or a person. I just saw the new "Chronicles of Narnia" movie and it really spoke to me (wonder of wonders). One of the basic premises of the movie is that the Kings and Queens of Narnia are expecting Aslan to act the same way he did in the past. And when he doesn't it leads them to frustration and the feeling that they were forsaken. So they end up moving on their own apart from calling upon Aslan. And of course this leads to defeat and great loss. They were putting their hope in a pattern instead of a person. When they finally called upon the person He was there to deliver them and give them victory.
I've done this many times. I look to patterns or expect God to work in a specific way. Maybe I expect him to act as he did before. And, unbeknownst to me, I've put my trust in a pattern instead of a person. And when the Lord does not move in the ways He has in the past, or does not do what I expect him to do I get discouraged and feel forsaken. Often I turn to things of this world, or the satisfaction of earthly pleasures, to fill the void. All the while the Lord is waiting for me to look simply to Him as the full and complete answer. Usually, it takes defeat and loss for me to come back to the simplicity of Jesus Christ. It takes a good kick in the gut (not from God, but from circumstances) to remind me that it is all about a person and not a pattern. God wants us to know this in our hearts without having to go through all the failure. But he will use failure to bring us to that point.
I say all that just to say that we have been called into the way of freedom. Our first priority is a person- He who is life. Patterns, forms, etc. are all secondary. I'm not worried about following a pattern or doing everything "New Testament" style. I am concerned about knowing and loving a person and walking with Him in freedom. If we are truly drinking in new wine the new wine skin will evolve to hold it and pour it out for the world to drink. But if all we have is a new wine skin, fashioned after the one in the New Testament, but don't have new wine it is all in vain. In planting and being the Church, in living the Christian life, I don't believe their is a cookie cutter form. Relationship transcends forms and laws. We are called into relationship. We are called to follow a person who is beyond our comprehension. But as we follow this person we will see His Church built and the world come to know that He is the Son of God.
I want to know this person. In good times and bad. When I am fearful and when I am bold. He is my life. He is my all.
Hey Joe and Josh. How do you like the website? I'll send you the edit information so that you can add and edit stuff. Let's have some fun!!!